Drug abuse is a disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress.
Drug addiction is a disease that is characterized by a destructive pattern of drug abuse that leads to significant problems involving tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance, as well as other problems use of the substance can cause for the sufferer.
Drug abuse and addiction are unfortunately quite common, affecting 7% and more than 2% of people at some point in their lives, respectively.
Dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a drug-abuse or dependence issue in addition to a serious...

When it comes to mental illness, the sexes are different: Women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, while men tend toward substance abuse or antisocial disorders, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.
Published online in APA’s Journal of Abnormal Psychology, the study looked at the prevalence by gender of different types of common mental illnesses. The researchers also found that women with anxiety disorders are more likely to internalize emotions, which typically results in withdrawal, loneliness and depression. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to...

by Nicholas A. Roes, PhD
We’ll order now what they ordered then, ‘Cause everything old is new again
“Everything Old Is New Again,” Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager
DBT” is a relatively new construct being used as the wrapping for some time-tested techniques now being generously re-gifted to the substance use treatment community. An evidence-based practice, Dialectical Behavior Therapy is helpful with substance abusers who are suicidal or have borderline personality disorder, and includes a lot of what we do already.
Historically, the addiction field has had a dialectical approach. We have combined the seemingly opposite...